Posts filtered on Tag

Tag: tea party

Republican politics at the national level is a noxious mess. There’s no need to lay out the details beyond what’s described in the 300 or so posts that precede this one. So, why not become a Democrat? …

As proof that God loves irony, we discover now that Ted Cruz is in fact what the Birthers imagine Obama to be – an American born to a citizen parent in a foreign country. The implications of this revelation are too rich to be ignored. Let’s be absolutely clear: Even if all of the terrifying far-right conspiracy theories about Barack Hussein Obama were actually true, he would be just as legally qualified to be President as Rafael Edward Cruz. …

For that formerly insulated generation, accelerating technological dynamism has undermined much of their economic value just at the moment when global capitalism has broadened the range of competition. They have lost privileges and protections they barely realized they had and the terror is palpable. Southern Republican politics in this moment is pure, distilled fear; rhetorical moonshine that rushes straight to the heart before dimming the eyes. …

Our political system may in fact be less divided than ever on the issues of greatest importance, but our political processes are producing radically divisive results. Until we see prominent political figures openly bypass the primary process, the mass of general election voters will remain politically orphaned, trapped in a false choice between artificially distant poles. We are unlikely to see the end of dysfunctional politics until we transform the processes that produce it. …

The Tea Party’s signature victories have come from defeating Republicans in primaries and caucuses. They cannot hold their own against candidates who refuse to submit to the will of a tiny minority of activists. The far right political program is a rotten door just waiting to be kicked in. …

Using the Scandalgate Gambit is a terrible mistake, but it has already accomplished the most important goals of its fans. It has shut down any talk of rationalizing the party. It has sucked all the oxygen out of that crazy idea about listening to brown people. It has squashed any effort to build a credible set of policy alternatives. It has allowed the Tea Party to solidify its white-knuckled grip on the Republican agenda. For traditional Republicans longing for a return to sanity the time has come for a change in plans. …

A crippling misconception hobbles Republican efforts to reach non-white constituencies. Too many Republicans believe that minorities do not understand the history and platform of the Republican Party. That condescending logic leads to “outreach” efforts that look like Senator Paul’s speech at Howard, with predictable results. …

It makes sense now to start building an alternative agenda, a foundation for Republican dissent. A party that has come to rest so solidly on fundamentalist religion, latent racist appeals, and paranoia needs a nudge back toward reality and a new sense of purpose. Building that new brand will take time, discussion, compromise and pain. No one has the whole recipe, but here are a few ingredients that might help us get started. …

There’s nothing new about conspiracy theories in politics, but the degree to which they have entered mainstream political discourse is shocking and unprecedented. From Benghazi to Agenda 21, there seem to be no filters remaining to prevent ludicrous ideas from reaching the highest levels of policy. Somewhere over the past decade or so, the politics of crazy jumped the tin-foil barrier and started to influence the political opinions of ordinary people who are otherwise competent, intelligent and even educated. …

Romney out-polled the Republican Senate field by a national average of over four points. The story gets even clearer with a look at specific races. Candidates who were able to break completely from the party’s religious conservative base were consistently more competitive than the Romney/Ryan ticket. There was not a single Republican Senate candidate with opposition who outperformed Romney by embracing Tea Party or religious conservative priorities. Not one. …

Loading...

More

Note: This blog is a not a Houston Chronicle staff blog. The Houston Chronicle is not responsible for the content contained in this blog.